The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963



Before you read this book, you need a little historical background. As you work through each page of the wiki, you will get to know the author, Christopher Paul Curtis and will build the knowledge you need to understand the perspectives and feelings of the characters in the story. To be able to complete assignments throughout this book study, you may need to refer back to this wiki and link to the historical documents again as we encounter them in the story.
Click on the picture above to see John F. Kennedy give a short talk on Civil Rights.
You will be graded on how well you interact with the information in the discussion section of this wiki. Each page has 1-2 discussions about the information you find in the links. Be sure you use this information in your answers to the discussion questions so we can build background information together.
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Objectives From ALEX:
  • Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. [RL.7.2]
  • Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others. [RI.7.6]
  • Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on Grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. [SL.7.1]
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. [SL.7.1a]
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. [SL.7.1b]
c. Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed. [SL.7.1c]
d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views. [SL.7.1d]

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The Watsons Go to Birmingham[[Civil Rights 1963]]
The 16th Street Church Bombing
  1. ^ Martin-luther-king-during-the-march-on-washington. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr/pictures/martin-luther-king-jr/martin-luther-king-during-the-march-on-washington